Casket



June-29, 1,937. M. J. MaoDONALD GASKET Filed Feb. l, 1936 mman Murray] rljydcwzald,

Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor to The National Casket Company, Inc.,

Boston, Mass., a. corporation of New York Application February 1, 1936, Serial No. 61,949

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in caskets and more particularly to means for supporting the hinged top or panel of a casket when in the opened position and for limiting-its open- 5 ing movement.

Heretofore it has been the general practice to limit the opening of a casket top or panel by means of a girdle which extends from the head end of the casket to the top or panel. This girdle is exposed and when the top or panel is closed must be carefully placed in the casket compartment so that it will not interfere with the closing of the panel or protrude beyond the edge of the casket. Moreover the girdle must be avoided `during the placing of the body in the compartment since if it be hit there is danger that the panel will be closed before the body is in place.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a top or panel supporting device which is concealed by the lining of the casket and which does not encroach upon or interfere in any way with the use of the body compartment.

This and other objects will appear from a con-r i sideration of the following description and of the `2,5 drawing which forms a part thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an unlined half-couch type wood casket the panel of which is open;

Fig. 2 isa cross sectional View taken along the line 2--2 in Fig. 1 the lining of the casket proper and panel being added;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 wherein the panel is closed; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of an unlined metal casket of the half-couch type in which this device is employed.

The wood casket 2|! includes the casket proper 2 I, a head wing 22, a side wing 23 and a panel 24. The wings and panel are hinged to the casket proper and when opened expose the head and shoulders of the body. The panel is supported in the open position by a device embodying this invention which comprises a strap 25 extending from a brace strip 26 secured to the underside of the ogee of the panel to astrip 21 secured to the rear wall of the casket proper and having a hooped portion intermediate its ends.

The strap 25 is made of a single strip of spring metal bent back on itself to form loops at each end. The ends of the strip are joined by a seal 28 which secures them to the main portion adjacent the brace strip 26. The loop 30 at the upper end of the strap is secured to the panel by the strip 26 mounted on the ogee 33 thereof so that 55 it remains stationary. The loop 3| `at the lower end receives the hooped portion of the strip 21 so that it is free to move relative to the casket as the panel is opened and closed.

Since the strap is of metal it will tend to cling closely to the wall of the casket proper as the panel is opened and closed. Thus the lining 32 which covers the walls of the casket and panel is not disturbed or caused to bulge into and encroach upon the casket compartment.

As shown in Fig. 4 this device may be employed in a metal casket 40. Plates 43 and 44 soldered to the casket proper 4| and to the panel 42 and ogee 48 thereof include slots 45 and 46, respectively, and serve in the same manner as the strips 26 and 2l to secure and guide the strap here designated as 41 and which is identical to the strap 25.

While one form of device embodying this invention and the employment thereof in wood and metal caskets has been shown and described it will be understood that I am not limited thereto and that other embodiments and employments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claim.

The invention has been shown and described as employed in caskets of the half-couch type wherein the portion of the top to be opened and closed is known in the trade as the panel. It may be employed equally well in caskets of other types wherein the entire top is opened and hence the `term top is used in the claim to include not only the panel hereinV described but also any similar member hinged to the casket proper and serving to open or close the body compartment.

I claim:

In a lined casket having a hinged top, a device for supporting the top in open position and limiting the opening movement thereof, said device being concealed by the lining'and comprising a strap and plates secured to the inner wall of the top and to the inner wall of the casket proper for attaching the upper end of the strap to the top and the lower end of the strap to the casket proper, the lower end of the strap being bent back upon itself to'form a loop, and the plate secured to the casket proper including a hoop which receives said loop, permitting travel of the lower end of the strap relative to the casket wall as the top is opened or closed and stopping such movement when the top is fully open, such travel taking place without disturbing the lining of the casket proper or encroaching upon the body compartment thereof.

MURRAY J. MACDONALD. 

